The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

The gift that keeps on giving...

And then there were none
While Christmas Eve is still two weeks
away, I've never been busier. Given the
majority of those near and dear to me
live miles away, I've had to get all of
my shopping done EARLY. I'm proud
to report that I did ALL of my shopping
here in Lewistown. Frankly, I'm rather
pleased with the results. Since then I've
been consumed with shipping instead
of hiding presents. Spending days at the
Post Office wasn't a thrill but the joy of
a job well done is more than satisfying.
As of today, shopping is OFF my list.

Just say "NO"
Both Frank and I have committed in
theory to a "no gift zone" this holiday.
However I'm fairly certain that like
me he'll hide a few tidbits under our
tree. Weaning oneself off conspicuous
consumption is as hard as resisting a
plate of Christmas cookies. The fact
is that I get quite a bit of pleasure out
of giving AND receiving. My only
challenge is that I really don't enjoy
the process of procuring said gifts.
All I know is that I'm happy to report
that this holiday - LESS IS MORE!

It's a wrap
One thing is certain - in the rush to
get everything done I've let down
my standards. Historically I spent
quite a bit of time primping all of
my packages. Everything had to be
in the perfect box accompanied by
the perfect wrap and ribbon. This
year I'll admit that rather than make
much ado about nothing I allowed
our local merchants to literally wrap
it up. That's one of the pleasures of
shopping locally - some one else is
willing to be my SECRET SANTA!

Seasons greetings
Did I mention that my cards are already
in the mail? Trust me... that's a miracle!
Usually I'm rushing the weekend before
Christmas to complete said task. This
year I actually enjoyed jotting off said
missives. Somehow I leveraged that
post Thanksgiving hiatus and hence had
the time to get the job done. So overall,
I'm feeling somewhat under control.
Which frankly is more than shocking!
All that's left now is to deck the halls.
But that's next week. So until then,
I'm going to chill out and RELAX!

Party animal
Don't get me wrong, we're still busier
than ever. The next two weekends are
booked solid with soirees and other
events. The difference this year is that
I won't be drinking heavily in order to
forget all that I still have to accomplish.
Rather, I can blithely get bombed with
not a worry in the world. Said freedom
to enjoy may just be the greatest self
gift of all. Suddenly I understand why
my Mother started her holiday shopping
in July. Peace of mind enables one to
fully enjoy peace on earth!

Time well spent
With age comes wisdom. At this point I'm
fully aware of my strengths and weaknesses.
Hence my hope is that by getting everything
done earlier than usual, I can actually enjoy
the holidays. Just one week from Saturday
our houseguests arrive. And rather than be
running about in a frenzy, I hope to enjoy
visiting with them. After all, isn't that what
the holidays are all about? I'm hoping that
my more organized approach to seasonal
festivities will enable me to focus on what's
really important... celebrating live and love.
GIVE AND YE SHALL RECEIVE!